i have a friend who is a alcoholic how can i help him ?

Question

he goes to aa meetings but recently turned up drunk and then came home and drank more i really really want to help him i go to meetings with him for support but nothing seems to work please help many thanks

he says he wants to give up and asks me to help but really dont know what to do

Answer 1

well i will help all i can by telling you how i dealt with my problem and you can take what help from it you can i,ve been a bad drinker for 14 years and i put my partner through hell until one day i decided to seek help not only for me but for my wife who till this day stuck like glue to my side and for that i,m forever great full. AA remember is not for everyone and when you start going for the first time it can be quite scary sometimes you feel like there preaching to you like bible bashing dogooders but there not they are just reminding you of there own drinking experience's on a regular basis and how bad they got because alcoholic's need reminding to realise how bad drink for us people can be as we can never drink safely my wife however attended groups called alanon they are all over the country they are for the family and friends of the drinkers and helps the family's learn what the alcholics are going through so people like yourself can get a better understanding of what to do the numbers are available from the local council back to your friend i know he turned up drunk but things like that will happen you have to understand he will be going through a rollercoaster of emotions while giving up the drink also get the number of your local drink and drug missuse centre they will give him all the support he will need and all the contact groups and literiture required for your first steps for him to really achieve sobriety also bless people like you for being there you must be his guardian angel but also remember the road ahead is going to be tuff so bear with him i can also tell you with the right support and determination from him sobriety is achievable i did it and feel a brand new man no more deppression no more panic attacks more money but most of all i have my life back he to can have it all

Answer 2

Drug Abuse---There Is a Solution! :
~ Who Takes Them?
~ Why DO People Abuse Them?
~ There IS a Solution to Drug Abuse
http://watchtower.org/library/g/2001/7/8/article_01.htm

The Drinking Trap---Are You at Risk? :
- Alcohol Misuse--A Social Catastrophe
- Alcohol Misuse and Health
- Breaking the Chains of Alcohol Abuse
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/10/8/article_01.htm

Also notice the related articles that are listed as actual links, upper-left of their texts. These all have very helpful advice, both for the substance abuse, & those seeking to help them.

(These URLs will likely be changed soon, after which the on-site Advanced Search at http://watchtower.org/search/search_e.htm will find their new URLs.)

Answer 3

I think that AA is not the place for him , go back to his own doctor and ask for a one to one consultant, He is lucky he has you to help him . speaking through experience the road to recovery is not an easy one. In the one to one you only have the one person listing to you where as in the AA you are among people who are not only with drink also with problems like drugs, so please ask him to go back and speak with is doctor they will find him the right help Drink almost cost me my life and Drink is no ones best friend. I have to add that there has been good advice given here but also very negative advice, there is no such thing as can´t . First you have to help yourself then thing´s get better trust me, tell your friend he can do this

Answer 4

There is a lot of good advice here and the thing i take is that everyone is an individual. I have struggled for maybe 10 years with my wifes drinking and i dont have an answer. It is a terrible enemy and all I can do is wish you luck and to say you are a remarkable person to stand by your friend.

Answer 5

My husband is an alcoholic...I have learned that I can't help him. And you probably can't help your friend either. My husband "quits" every weekend and lays in bed while I take care of the house and our 3 young children. After 4 yrs of this I have stopped believing that 'this will be the weekend he really stops'. Like your friend, he keeps saying that he wants to stop. I believe that, but I also believe that he can't do it himself and it's not my help he needs. He needs to sign his life away to a facility for however long it takes. Maybe that is what your friend needs, too. Hope your friend can find the strength to overcome it.

Answer 6

May I suggest Al-Anon, for you, which is an organisation which helps the friends & family of alcoholics.
I am a recovering alcoholic & I know that no amount of pleading reasoning or coercion will stop an alcoholic from drinking.
Al-Anon uses 'tough love' & helps the nearest & dearest of the alcoholic find the best solution.

Answer 7

All you can do is be his friend, it's not up to you to 'cure/save' him - you just can't. If he ever sobers up it will be because he has fallen so low he wants to get back up again, but often times alcoholics (like any addicts) just sink further in. It is a terrible illness and all you can do is offer your support for as long as you can handle it, unfortunately he may never come back round. On the other hand many addicts do turn themselves and their lives round in which case you will have a true friend for life. I know it's terribly sad but be warned it may not happen.

Answer 8

Our friend was a alcoholic after he nearly died .
He was made to face up to his problem when he was in hospital.
He had tablets off the doctor and he hasn`t looked back
.It `s been a few years since he had a drink and his life has turned around
Your friend has to ask for help and mean it , Hope things work out for him

Answer 9

he may have told you he wants to quit,the reason he hasn't been able to do it,is cos he doesn't want it bad enough.unfortunately,you,or anyone else for that matter,will be unable to stop him drinking.he's the only one that can do it for himself.i used to be a junkie,and it didn't matter what counselling i had or what medication i was on it didn't help.people say that you really have to hit rock bottom before you can start to get your life back in order again and quit your addiction.that's what happened to me,and chances are,that's what'll happen with your friend as well.hope that he does finally manage to quit,he'll have a much better life without the alcohol.

Answer 10

like everyone else had said, you can't do this for him, he has to want to quit, but maybe you could see if you could go to a meeting with him. If you had a better perspective, maybe you'd be able to remind him of what was covered in the meetings when he goes off track.